Soundalike song intros

[beachcat]

As I was listening to a rerun of Sirius XM's '60s on 6 "Getting Together with Tommy James" this afternoon, I heard a few familiar drum beats at the beginning of a song. My brain instantly thought "The Letter" by the Box Tops, but it turned out to be Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". For a more contemporary example, (if you can call songs from the '80s contemporary) I would always momentarily get "Hells Bells" by AC/DC mixed up with Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by virtue of the sound of bells tolling at the beginning of each song.

So out of curiosity, what's a song that you briefly mistake for another due to the similarities in the way the song starts out?

[JK]

As I was listening to a rerun of Sirius XM's '60s on 6 "Getting Together with Tommy James" this afternoon, I heard a few familiar drum beats at the beginning of a song. My brain instantly thought "The Letter" by the Box Tops, but it turned out to be Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". For a more contemporary example, (if you can call songs from the '80s contemporary) I would always momentarily get "Hells Bells" by AC/DC mixed up with Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" by virtue of the sound of bells tolling at the beginning of each song.

So out of curiosity, what's a song that you briefly mistake for another due to the similarities in the way the song starts out?

Hi bc. Good call!

My classic example concerns Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmcA9LIIXWw

...and the BB's "You're So Good To Me":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhMfS-vTEPA

Their first three notes are pretty well identical, certainly if heard on the radio, but they soon part company after that.

I'll see if any others come to mind...

[Lonely Summer]

Compare the intro of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes with "Take it to the Limit" by Eagles.

[beachcat]

My classic example concerns Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon"... and the BB's "You're So Good To Me":

Hey, jk! Thanks for replying, and fabulous example, especially since it involves a BB song

[beachcat]

Compare the intro of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes with "Take it to the Limit" by Eagles.

Whoa I know both songs but never made the connection! Great find, Lonely Summer!

[JK]

This is more a blatant lift than a what-song-does-that-remind-me-of? situation.

First off, Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike" from 1962:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S22Lm6ReopE

Next, The Velvet Underground's "There She Goes Again", recorded in 1966:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3E5YIP-DvU

[SBonilla]

Brian got more than just the drum intro to BARNYARD from The Bell Notes -  I'VE HAD IT.